Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-10-21
STATUE OF LIBERTY.
THE GODDESS VISITORS NOT so
e. NUMEROUS AS THEY WEPE.

THE GODDESS VISITORS NOT so
NUMEROUS AS THEY WEPE.
Rarth"'it. Work Failing More aud Moro
into n Conventional HArbor Land.
s,ark-yisisors frss. the Couatry-A
CoMmasdtsg Oatlook.Statuettes.
Few big undertakings are a whole year. 3
wonder, and it is only natural that tho
Statue Of Liberty should be falling morc
and more into conventional harbor land
mark. Such, in fact, it is; and though
the boats still run down from the Barge
ofiice daily with fair sprinkling OF sigh I.
seers, one can feel that Barthoidi's WORK
has lost its freshness for an but few
strangers and enthusiasts. The sail these
hot days is pleasant one, and the air at
the island is cool and salty. That the
statue n there is something, but not all
that IL used TO be.
Things on the island look much as they
did the day after the unwilling. The
same rough wooden, stairs head up from
the pier To the euter ramparts, over which
the same useless six gun battery frowns.
Across the narrow interspace are the old
star shaped granite walls OF Fort Wood,
with their curious winding sallyports
They will be hidden some day by the big
embankment which Is 10 slope from the
sea wall up TO the statues base. There
are no signs of such a terraee work now,
and the walls stand ont as bald and dull
rs ever against the lighter, polished granite
Of the pedestal Even the wooden plat
form IL still standing under the south face
Of the pedestal, from which the unlucky
orators faced the mist and rain on the day
OK the unveiling and struggled against the
whistles Of the fleet Of tugs The same
narrow wooden staircase runs mp to the
doorway of the pedestal. There is no
elevator inside. The stone steps are hard
to climb, and one can get no further than
the kotidess' heel without = permit from
the American committee. The American
committee, 1t turns out, is still In charge
of the statue, though the government
nominally owns it. A good deal of brac-
ing has to be done yet inside the big
figure; and the terrecin9 OUTSIDE, for
which the committee is responsible. has
not even been begun No money is on
hand. AID there is little chance Of raising
any.
One misses tie crowds, of course, that
uScS W btTukxie uOV u IQc ISl9nu on
the overloaded steamboats, last fall, and
the hustle Of the workmen hammering
away high up on the head and shoulders
Of the big, unfinished goddess. The last
holt was driven and the last rivet placed !
eight months ago, and the shrfllest sound !
nowadays on tho quiet island u the morn |
ing bugle Of the little squad Of infantry |
that garrisons it. The a.tillerymen from |
thU hurl l,,V 4
lonely under the shadow Of the big beacon, |
and less favored company of infantry /
WAS brought down from Sackett's Harbor |
usual, on the pier; another at the base OF |
the statue; another at the base Of the big |
bronze figure itself.
From THE COUNTRY.
Most of the visitors to Beiiloe,s Island |
nowadays are people from the country |
over for Q day or two in New
York. What they don't know about the |
harbor from the guide books Is scarcely
worth knowing, and the talk they hazard
lron the deck Of the steamer a. il leaves
he barge Office is often most refreshing.
Il guess that be Staten Island, " said q
layseedy looking old gentleman the other
lay to his wide mouthed family 6 six.
SiF hAStuS " yIleu OI 6Ome 0QcO OOOl6-
nan owns the hull OF it.
An mebbe that's ono Of them towers
II Babylun that we hearn Couain Jimmy
l.taikin' about" he continued. Jerking
ais finger at Castle William "waIl, II
,ever. I don't see no Brooklyn bridge
lown here, though il oughtef Be pretty
,ear in front of US. That's the East river
what runs west, really, JUS a the North
r.,v - y d. g., :. 4
,er out right see the Goddess Of Lib
what's behind her. where you see the
moke a-hangin'. Must be. Coney Island
here with the hills onto 1t. But l don't
row."
The old man gazed carefully again
lrunnd the horizon. His idea Of . bridge
vas sort of . pontoon with dra1. He
ell ON the real bridge at last from tie pier
Il Bedloe's Island-a fine, gauzy net
vork, showing against the black roofs
nd spires and the sky beyond. He didn't
ay . word, but stared at it blankly for
I've minutes, and then for five minutes
more at the goddess; and the people Of
vayback will hardly be able to tell next
Tinter which Of the two = the greatest Of
he modern seven wonders.
A COMMANDING OUTLOOK.
No visit to the island is complete with
ut . look through the parade ground,
rom the middle of which the statue rises,
nd climb to the galleries Of the pedes-
al with their commanding outlook on the
arbor and its pretty setting Of hills,
pires, towers and black, dense patches Of
itis The pedestal is open ali the way
lp, though the copper figure itself is
AIRED against the eh,favored. It is a long
quincy to the tor. however, and the pros
ect is scarcely tesnpting on hot day to
he unenthusisstie- The men are gen.
rally matter Of fact enough to 5e satisfied
nth the view below. The young women,
specially those from the country doing
he sights Of New York, are more ambi-
ious
The country people are the best custo-
ners. too, Of the girl who sells statuettes,
iedals and memorial volumes ON the
teamer. Most Of the stxtuettes have
cen on the market good while There
rs some new ones, however, representing
liberty astride OF the North Pole
q colored globe, with the continents
nd oceans all neatly laid out in red and
iue and yellow. The Bartholdi medals
ave head stamped On the face, which
light be taken equally well for Julius
HRar Alexander th4 Great George !